Process for separating carbon dioxide from a gas mixture

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF REMOVING CO2 FROM A MIXTURE OF CO2CONTAINING GASES BY MEANS OF A LIQUID ABSORPTION MEDIUM WHICH IS SELECTIVE FOR THE CO2 AND WHICH FLOWS IN A CLOSED LOOP PATH, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING: (A) ASPIRATING THE GAS MIXTURE UPWARDLY IN COCURRENT FLOW THROUGH AN UPWARDLY FLOWING COLUMN OF THE LIQUID ABSORPTION MEDIUM AT A FIRST CONTACTING STAGE IN SAID PATH UNDER A SUPER-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO ABSORB CO2, (B) PASSING THE GAS MIXTURE AND THE LIQUID OF THE COLUMN IN COCURRENT FLOW TO A FIRST SEPARATION STAGE IN SAID PATH TO SEPERATE GAS FROM LIQUID, (C) SEPARATING A GAS OF REDUCED CO2 CONTENT AND THE CO2-CONTAINING LIQUID MEDIUM FROM ONE ANOTHER AT SAID FIRST SEPARATION STAGE, (D) WITHDRAWING THE SEPARATED GAS FROM SAID PATH, (E) ASPIRATING A STRIPPING GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AIR AND AN INERT GAS UPWARDLY IN COCURRENT FLOW THROUGH AN UPWARDLY FLOWING COLUMN OF THE CO2-CONTAINING LIQUID MEDIUM AFTER THE STEP (C) SEPARATION AT A SECOND CONTACTING STAGE IN SAID PATH UNDER A LOWER PRESSURE THAN THAT AT SAID FIRST CONTACTING STAGE TO STRIP CO2 GAS FROM THE CO2-CONTAINING LIQUID MEDIUM, (F) PASSING THE RESULTING CO2-CONTAINING STRIPPING GAS AND LIQUID MEDIUM OF REDUCED CO2 CONTENT IN COCURRENT FLOW TO A SECOND SEPAATING STAGE IN SAID PATH TO SEPARATE THE GAS FROM THE LIQUID MEDIUM, (G) SEPARATING GASEOUS FROM LIQUID COMPONENTS AT SAID SECOND SEPARATING STAGE, (H) WITHDRAWING THE CO2-CONTAINING STRIPPING GAS FROM SAID PATH, AND (I) PUMPING THE REGENERATED LIQUID MEDIUM SEPARATED AT SAID SECOND SEPARATING STAGE BACK TO SAID FIRST CONTACTING STAGE AS THE ABSORBENT THEREIN AT SUCH A RATE THAT THE PUMPING ENERGY MAINTAINS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE LIQUID MEDIUM ABOVE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT SAID CLOSED PATH.